Plant of the Week
Sawtooth Oak
Latin: Quercus acutissim
It’s hard to live in Arkansas and not think about oaks,
especially in the fall. Acorns bong off the roof and drifts of leaves accumulate
as we mentally prepare for the task of leaf removal that lies ahead.
With more than 40 species of native oaks already growing in the
state, it seems unlikely that a foreign oak would find a niche in our
landscapes, but one has; the sawtooth oak (Quercus acutissima).
The sawtooth oak is a medium size tree growing to 50 feet tall
with a broad, rounded form at maturity. Young trees grow quickly with lowest
branches tending to spread widely if not pruned off at an early age. The
sawtooth oak is fast growing for an oak, reaching 30 feet in 15 years.
Sawtooth oak leaves are unlike the leaves of our native oaks.
Looking much like those of the Chinese chestnut, they are about 6 inches long,
unlobed and oblong in outline with the tip tapering to a fine point. Leaf
margins are reminiscent of a saw blade and terminate in a fine bristle. Because
of the bristle, the sawtooth oak is considered a member of the red oak tribe.
Part of the beauty of sawtooth oak is the clean, glossy
appearance of the foliage. The foliage is unblemished and glossy-green all
summer long. In the fall, it turns yellow, finally aging to grocery-bag brown.
Young trees tend to hold much of their foliage through the winter, shedding it
in the spring as new leaves emerge.
Though the leaves look decidedly un-oak-like, the appearance of
the acorns in the fall definitely identifies this tree with the oaks. It
produces heavy crops of 3/4 inch round, brown acorns that will cover the ground
in many years. It is the first oak to drop its acorns in the fall, usually about
three weeks ahead of its native kin. The cap of the acorn covers about half of
the nut and reminds me of bowl-cut hairdo that is badly in need of a trim.
The sawtooth oak is native over a wide range in Japan, Korea and
China. It was introduced into the U.S. in 1862 but remained almost unknown until
its ability to produce heavy crops of acorns was realized.
Heavy acorn production, even though it tends to occur in
alternate years, makes the tree valuable as a wildlife food plant. Deer
especially seem to relish the acorns. During the 1980s and 90s, sawtooth oaks
were distributed as part of the "Acres for Wildlife" program sponsored by the
Arkansas Game and Fish Department. The trees that now are showing up in front
yards and woodlots across the state are from these seedlings.
The sawtooth oak is hardy statewide and seems unbothered by any
serious insect or disease problems. Being a large tree at maturity, it should be
planted where it has sufficient room to spread. It is not picky about soil type,
but faster growth will be realized in better soils. It seems to have excellent
drought tolerance once established.
By: Gerald Klingaman, retired
Extension Horticulturist
- Ornamentals
Extension News -
October 18, 2002
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